ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Micro,Small & Medium Enterprises
Employment Generation in MSME Sector
As reported by Central Statistics Office , Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation , the Share of MSME in All India GDP during 2015-16 and 2016-17 and 2017-18 has been 29.5% and 29.3% and 29.7%, respectively. As reported by Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics , the share of MSME related products in total exports during 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20  has been 49.69%, 48.56%, 48.10% and 49.66%, respectively.
Under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme , the estimated employment generated  in micro enterprises during the years 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 has been 4.08 lakh, 3.87 lakh and 5.87 lakh, respectively.
The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises  implements various schemes to support promotion & development of MSMEs. These include Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme , Micro and Small Enterprises-Cluster Development Programme , Scheme for Promotion of MSMEs in North Eastern Region and Sikkim, Tool Rooms and Technology Centers, Mission Solar Charkha , Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries , Procurement and Marketing Support Scheme, Entrepreneurship & Skill Development Programme , Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises  and Credit Linked Capital Subsidy and Technology Upgradation Scheme .
The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development  Act, 2006 contains provisions to address the issue of delayed payment to Micro and Small Enterprises . In line with this, Ministry of MSME has launched MSME Samadhaan Portal to ease filing of application under Micro and Small Enterprise Facilitation Council , set up in States for settlement of disputes related to delayed payments. In order to support traditional industries, Ministry of MSME implements Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries . Employment generation in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises per investment is more than that in large enterprises.
This information was given by Shri Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Update on Organ Donation
Eligibility criteria of upper age limit of 65 years for registration to receive deceased donor organ removed
As per the new Government guidelines, the upper age limit of 65 years for eligibility for registration to receive deceased donor organ has been removed. Now, a person of any age can register for receiving deceased donor organ. The government has also decided to do away with the domicile requirement of the state for registration of patients requiring organ transplantation from deceased donor.
Government is also taking several steps to increase awareness on organ donation in the country. These include dissemination of information by NOTTO, ‘Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organizations ’ and ‘State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organizations ’, the three tiered structure set up under the National Organ Transplant Program . Additionally, a website is launched with the link : www.notto.gov.in, a 24x7 call centre with a toll free helpline number  to provide information, tele-counseling and facilitate in coordination for organ donation.
A number of activities are organized across the country for generating awareness, such as celebration of Indian Organ Donation Day annually, seminars, workshops, debates, sports events, walkathons, participation in marathons, nukkad natak, awareness stall in India International Trade Fair, 2022.
The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
COVID-19 UPDATE
168.47 cr vaccine doses have been administered so far under Nationwide Vaccination Drive
India's Active caseload currently stands at 14,35,569
Active cases stand at 3.42%
Recovery Rate currently at 95.39%
2,46,674 recoveries in the last 24 hours increases Total Recoveries to 4,00,17,088
1,49,394 new cases recorded in the last 24 hours
Daily positivity rate 
Weekly Positivity Rate 
73.58 cr Total Tests conducted so far; 16,11,666 tests conducted in the last 24 hours
Vice President's Secretariat
Vice President Greets people on the eve of Holi
The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has greeted the people on the eve of Holi. In a message, he said that the festival of colours Holi, celebrated with traditional fervor and enthusiasm throughout the country, is a celebration of the victory of good over evil. It is a festival that expresses joy, camaraderie and conviviality, he added.
Following is the text of Vice President’s message:
“I convey my warm greetings and good wishes to the people of our country on the auspicious occasion of Holi.
Holi is a festival of colours. Celebrated with traditional fervor and enthusiasm throughout the country, the colourful festival of Holi is a celebration of change of seasons. It is a celebration of the victory of good over evil. It is a festival that expresses joy, camaraderie and conviviality.
May this festival bring peace, harmony, prosperity and happiness in our lives.”
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
Committee set up to synergise NCC and NSS
Government has decided to set up a committee under the Chairmanship of Shri Anil Swarup, former Secretary, School Education, with suitable representations from NCC, M/o Youth Affairs and Ministry of HRD to suggest measures to strengthen National Cadet Corps  and National Service Scheme .
The Committee will deal with on issues like expansion, strengthening training infrastructure, rationalizing resources, reducing manpower deficiency affecting NCC and NSS. The Committee will also submit recommend for building synergies between these two institutions viz. NCC and NSS and further strengthen them for empowering the youth.
At present, there are 13.5 lakh cadets in NCC in the age group of 12 to 26 years with pan India presence in about 703 out of 716 districts. There are a large number of educational institutions in the country including as much as 8600 on waitlist in which NCC is yet to be extended. There is also an existing shortage in the NCC manpower across the categories ranging from 5% to 36%.
The NCC has an annual budget allocation of about Rs.2200 crore with Central Government share of about Rs.1600 crore. NCC, with this meagre resources, is not able to expand itself and to cover all the districts of the country and cater to the needs of waitlisted educational institutions.
A meeting was held recently in PMO to revamp the NCC and NSS. Ministry of Youth Affairs, Ministry of Human Resource Development and NCC through the Ministry of Defence participated in the discussion. The discussion was mainly focused on taking measures for strengthening NCC and NSS and how youth could be empowered through these institutions. NSS has been playing a very active role in the service of the nation, particularly in the Government’s Programme such as Swachh Bharat Mission.
Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
Jan auashadhi Diwas will be celeberated On 7th March
Prime minister Narendra Modi to interact with jan aushadhi Kendras through vedio conferencing
Jan aushadhi Diwas will be celeberated on 7th march 2020. Prime minister Shri Narendra Modi will interact with owners of selected Jan aushadhi Kendras and beneficiaries of the Pradhanmantri Bhartiya Jana Aushadhi Pariyojna-PMBJP through a vedio conferencing from New Delhi. In Every Jan aushadhi outlet the message of the prime minister will be telecasted through DD News.
Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers D.V Sadananda Gowda will be participating in this programme at Jan aushadhi Kendra in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh,while MoS Chemicals & Fretilizers Mansukh Mandaviya will be at a Jan aushadhi Kendra of Pulwama in J&K UT. Shri Gowda has requested all Union ministers to actively participate in this celebration to boost the confidence and trust of the people on Jan aushadhi Medicines and create awareness about the scheme.
Various programme will be organized at all PMBJP kendras across the country to increase the awareness about the scheme. These programme will witness participation of doctors, health experts, NGO and beneficiaries in a large number.
The Jan aushadhi Divas aims to provide further impetus and create awareness about the use of generic medicines. The day will also highlight the initiative undertaken by Government in the direction of making quality healthcare for all, like Ayushman Bharat, PMBJY, etc.
The Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Pariyojna was launched by Prime Minister with an objective of making high-quality medicines available to all at an affordable prices, especially to the poor and underprivileged, through exclusive outlets of Jan Aushadhi Medical Stores.
“Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aaushadhi Pariyojana” is a noble initiative by Department of Pharmaceuticals, Government of India which is now making an impact on masses in its endeavor to provide quality medicines at an affordable price. Jan aushadhi Kendra is considered as the biggest retail pharma chain in the world with around 6200 outlets in 700 districts. Further, total sales of these stores in the financial year 2019-20 has crossed Rs 390 crore which led to total savings of approximately Rs 2200 crore of common citizens as these medicines are cheaper by 50 to 90% of the average market price. The scheme also provides a good source of self-employment with sustainable and regular earnings.
Election Commission
India elected as Chair of the Association of Asian Election Authorities  for 2022-24
India has been unanimously elected as the new Chair of the Association of Asian Election Authorities  for 2022-2024 at the recently held meeting of the Executive board and General Assembly at Manila, Philippines on May 7, 2022. Commission on Elections, Manila was the current chair of AAEA. The new member in the Executive Board now includes Russia, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Taiwan and Philippines.
The Election Commission of India 3-member delegation headed by Deputy Election Commissioner Shri Nitesh Vyas, along with CEO Manipur Shri Rajesh Agrawl and CEO Rajasthan Shri Praveen Gupta, attended the Executive Board meeting at Manila and presented the work plan for 2022-23 as also futuristic activities for 2023-24 to the Executive Board. A presentation on ‘Gender Issues in Elections’ was also given, highlighting various concerted and targeted interventions by India to break socio-political barriers in electoral and political processes for inclusive and participative elections.
The mission of the Association of Asian Election Authorities is to provide a non-partisan forum in the Asian region for sharing experiences and best practices among election authorities to discuss and act upon ways to promote open and transparent elections with the objective of supporting good governance and democracy.
Officials from many AAEA member countries have been regularly attending International Training Programmes conducted by India International Institute for Democracy and Election Management  from time to time. Since 2019, more than 250 officials from AAEA member countries have attended these programmes. IIIDEM also conducts customised capacity development training programs for specific AAEA member countries. 50 officials of Bangladesh Election Commission were trained during 2021-22.
Delegates from AAEA have also been regularly participating in the International Election Visitors Programme organised by Election Commission of India. 62 officials from 12 AAEA members participated in the 3rd International Virtual Election Visitors Programme  hosted by ECI during Assembly Elections in 2022. AAEA is also an Associate Member of the 118 member Association of World Election Bodies .
Establishment and Membership of AAEA
In pursuance of the resolution passed by participants of the Symposium on Asian Elections in the Twenty First Century held from January 26-29, 1997 in Manila, Philippines, the Association of Asian Election Authorities  was established in 1998. Currently 20 Asian EMBs are members of AAEA. ECI is a founder member EMB of the AAEA and also served on the Executive Board of the AAEA as the Vice Chair during 2011-13 and Chair during 2014-16.
Ministry of Education
PM SHRI Schools to showcase the implementation of NEP 2020 and emerge as exemplar schools
The Cabinet has approved a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme named Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India  on 7th September, 2022. These schools will showcase the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020 and emerge as exemplar schools over a period of time, and also offer leadership to other schools in the neighbourhood. The duration of scheme is from 2022-23 to 2026-27.
Online portal of PM SHRI schools has already been launched on 03.11.2022. Furthermore, the selection of PM SHRI has been followed by a transparent challenge method, wherein Schools have self-applied on the online portal. Selection is done through a three-stage process with definite time lines, which is as follows: -
Stage-1: States/UTs to sign MoU with Centre laying down the commitments for supporting these schools for achieving specified quality assurance as PM SHRI schools.
Stage-2: In this stage, a pool of schools that are eligible to be selected as PM SHRI Schools has been identified based on prescribed minimum benchmark through UDISE+ data.
Stage-3: This stage is based on the challenge method for fulfilling certain criteria. Only the schools from the above eligible pool of schools compete to fulfil the challenge conditions. Fulfilment of conditions is to certified by states/KVS/JNV through physical inspection. As the schools are selected through challenge method, there would not be any predefined state/UT-wise break-up of schools. States/UTs are to recommend the list of schools to Ministry of education for selection as PM SHRI schools.
For modern, transformation and holistic method of imparting education, the major interventions in the PM SHRI Scheme are:
1. Quality and Innovation 
2. Beneficiary oriented Entitlements under RTE Act
3. Annual School Grants 
4. Early Childhood Care and Education including Balvatika and Foundational Literacy and Numeracy
5. Equity and Inclusion including provision of safe and appropriate infrastructure for girls and Children with Special Needs .
6. Encouraging flexibility in choice of subjects offered to students.
7. Encouraging mother tongue as medium of instruction using technological interventions to help bridge language barriers between teachers and students.
8. ICT, smart classrooms and digital libraries for using digital pedagogy.
9. Strengthening of existing infrastructure
10. Vocational interventions & Enhancing internship/entrepreneurship opportunities especially with local industry. Mapping of skills with developmental projects/nearby industry and develop courses/curriculum accordingly.
The total cost of the project is Rs 27360 crore spread over a period of 5 years which includes central share of Rs 18128 crore.
The information was given by the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Subhas Sarkar in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Jal Shakti
Jal Jeevan Mission promotes research and development
Jal Jeevan Mission is being implemented in partnership with States, to enable every household in villages to have functional household tap connection by 2024. This Mission aims at ensuring potable water supply in adequate quantity  and of prescribed quality to every rural household on regular and long-term basis.
On completion of 1st year of Jal Jeevan Mission, announced by the Prime Minister in his Independence Day address to the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort on 15th August, 2020; in the whole country, 2 Crore households have been provided tap water connection in this period. More than 1 lakh families are given tap water connections daily.
The ruraldrinking water supply is a complex subject with various social, environmental and technical challenges like geo-genic and anthropogenic water quality issues, long-termpotable water supply in harsh edapho-climatic conditions and disaster-prone areas, measurement andmonitoring of water service delivery, behaviour change management, cost-effective grey-watertreatment and reuse etc.Thus, given the challenges and the knowledge gaps being faced while implementing the Jal Jeevan Mission with speed and scale along with the future of rural water security,there is a pressing need forsignificantresearch and innovation in the water supply sector.
Now, more than ever, National Jal JeevanMission will be supporting, promoting and cultivatingresearch and innovation tosolve the issue faced by water supply sector in rural areas. National Jal Jeevan Mission is inviting proposals from younginnovators, researchers, academia, entrepreneurs, start-ups working in this sectorto provide cost-effective solutions and fill knowledge gaps. Further, the Department/ National Mission/ SWSM will conduct action research and concurrent evaluation studies for adopting evidence-based technical interventionto manage rural water supply efficiently, effectively and economically. These R&D projects under Jal Jeevan Mission will facilitate in building partnership with scientists and R&D institutions, innovators, entrepreneurs and create useful knowledgethat will help in in addressing various challenges in the drinking water sector so as to improve the lives of people.
The R&D guidelines is availableon the Departmental portal i.e.https://jalshakti-ddws.gov.in/. All interested individual/ agencies/ institutions may use this opportunity and apply their proposals.
Ministry of Jal Shakti
Target and Objectives of Jal Shakti Abhiyan
 was launched in 2019 in 1592 blocks out of 2836 blocks in 256 water stressed districts of the country in two phases from 1st July to 30th September, 2019 and from 1st October to 30th November 2019. Under Jal Shakti Abhiyan – I, officers, groundwater experts and scientists from the Government of India have worked with State and District officials in these water stressed districts of the country to promote water conservation and water resource management by focusing on accelerated implementation of five target interventions, viz. water conservation & rain water harvesting, renovation of traditional and other water bodies/tanks, reuse and recharge of bore wells, watershed development and intensive afforestation. With this campaign, huge awareness has been generated and various stakeholders have started taking steps for water conservation. The outcome of JSA-I is improved water conservation.
No separate funds were allocated for JSA-I. However, under above mentioned interventions, funds were utilized by convergence of different Central and State Government schemes to achieve the goal. Jal
Shakti Abhiyan – II could not be taken up due to COVID-19 restrictions in 2020. However, Ministry of Jal Shakti has taken up the “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain”  with the theme “Catch the rain, Where it Falls When it Falls” covering both rural as well as urban areas of all districts in the country, during the pre-monsoon and monsoon period- ieupto 30th November 2021. The “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch The Rain” campaign was launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on 22 March 2021, the World Water Day. The
focused interventions for JSA:CTR include creation/maintenance of water conservation & rainwater harvesting structures; renovation of traditional and other water bodies/ tanks; reuse and recharge of bore wells; watershed development; and intensive afforestation. Another important activity of the JSA:CTR is the preparation of district-wise geo-tagged inventory of all water bodies, its ground-truthing and preparation of scientific water conservation plans based on it. The details of state-wise progress made in the Jal Sahkti Abhiyan: Catch The Rain campaign upto 26.07.2021 along with the funds spent is attached as Annexure-I, as uploaded on JSA:CTR Portal  by the Central stakeholder Ministries/ Departments in respect of their Key Performance Indicators. State Governments have also been requested to upload the information regarding works undertaken by them with state and local funds under JSA:CTR campaign. Details of works done under JSA:CTR in Karauli and Dhaulpur districts upto 26.07.2021 are attached as Annexure-II.
This information was given by the Minister of state for Jal Shakti & Food Processing Industries, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Law and Justice
Press Communique
Vide Notification no. K.13023/02/2022-US.II dated 23.09.2022, in exercise of the power conferred by clause  of Article 217 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint S/Shri Justices  Mohammed Ghouse Shukure Kamal,  Rajendra Badamikar and  Sushree Justice Khazi Jayabunnisa Mohiuddin, Additional Judges of the High Court of Kanataka, to be Judges of the High Court of Kanataka with effect from the date they assume charge of their respective offices.
Department of Atomic Energy
Achievements in Atomic Energy Sector
The remarkable achievements in the nuclear power sector during the last three years include:
- Setting of World Record in continuous operation of 962 days by Unit-1 of Kaiga Generating Station among nuclear power plants of all technologies.
- Completion of 50 years of safe operation of Units 1&2 of Tarapur Atomic Power Station , which are currently the oldest reactors in operation in the world.
- Addition of a nuclear power capacity of 1000 MW by completion of KKNPP- 2 at Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu.
- First Pour of Concrete  in KKNPP-3&4  at Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu.
- Ground break for KKNPP-5&6 at Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu.
- Environmental clearance from MoEF&CC for setting up nuclear power plants at Chutka in Madhya Pradesh.
- Accord of administrative approval and financial sanction of - ten  indigenous 700 MW Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors  to be set up in fleet mode & two  units of Light Water Reactors  being set up in cooperation with Russian Federation.
- Entering into enabling agreements with foreign countries for nuclear power cooperation including supply of fuel.
- During the last three years , AMD has augmented atomic mineral resources as detailed below.
- 80,221 tonne  in-situ uranium oxide . The total uranium resources of the country is 3,20,445t in situ U3O8 .
- 108.28 million tonnes beach sand heavy minerals resources, thereby updating the country’s beach sand heavy mineral resources to 1173.07 million tonnes.
- 3,46,462 tonne Rare Earth Elements Oxide and 19,564t Nb2O5  is estimated in Ambadongar area, Chhota Udepur district, Gujarat.
- Uranium Corporation of India Ltd.  has commissioned the Tummalapalle Uranium mining and milling project in Andhra Pradesh in January 2017.
This information was provided by the Union Minister of State  Development of North-Eastern Region , MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.